What kind of an initial do you predict Alpha to take on 3rd July?

– ALPHA cannot be expected to open big because it’s a female spy film. As you must be aware, female-centric films rarely command an initial.   

What did you think of the trailers of Dhamaal 4 and Welcome To The Jungle?

– Both the trailers, released this week, give the impression that the audience are in for fun rides. Both have a lot of actors in them, and both are films of successful franchises. So, one hopes that both the films do well at the box-office.    

Why are so many top producers like Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan getting into the space of micro dramas?

– Obviously, because they see a bright future for micro dramas.   

Why did Peddi (Hindi dubbed) not open extraordinarily yesterday (June 4)?

– It was an odd-day (Thursday) release. Besides, Ram Charan does not command initial value in the non-South territories despite an RRR behind him.   

Will next week’s Main Vaapas Aaunga take a good initial?

– The chances of a good initial for MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA are slim because the film has not been extensively promoted. If the film has merits, it will have to depend on word of mouth to score after the first day.    

What is the kind of collaboration between Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg’s Luv Films for Cocktail 2?

– They are joint producers of the film. The script of COCKTAIL 2 has been written by Luv Ranjan with Tarun Jain. Since Luv does not write scripts for films other than those produced by him, he agreed to part with the script only if he were given the producer’s credit too.  

Which was the first choice for exhibitors this week?

– It was KATTALAN (dubbed) because that seemed to be the only film for the masses.   

Is it true that stars have reduced their prices because films aren’t doing well at the box-office?

– Yes, it’s true that several big stars are now charging less than what they used to charge earlier. The reason for their fee reduction is that the run of films at the box-office has reduced, and satellite and digital rights are not fetching the kind of prices which they used to fetch when times were better.   

Which are the films exhibitors are pinning their hopes on, in the coming weeks?

– PEDDI on 4th June, HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI and BANDAR on 5th June, MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA on 12th June, COCKTAIL 2 on 19th June. 

Will Main Vaapas Aaunga take a good start on 12th June?

– Since the film stars relative newcomers (Vedang Raina and Sharwari Wagh) in the lead roles, a good start may not be possible. But if the songs become popular by the time the film hits the screens, a fair start may be possible. Otherwise, the film will have to depend upon positive word of mouth for the collections to pick up.   

Why did this week’s Chand Mera Dil and last week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do not open well?

– That’s the tragedy of films nowadays. Many of them don’t even take decent initials and hence lose the box-office battle in the first weekend itself. Many people have stopped frequenting cinemas except for very big star cast films or those carrying extraordinary reports. They see the other films on OTT platforms when they stream after eight weeks. That’s the reason why many films open to dull houses.  

Why are three big films — Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Bandar and Peddi Pehelwan (dubbed) — releasing on the same day (5th June) while no big film is slated for release in the previous week (29th May)?

– Yes, it’s strange but that’s the way it is. 

Why didn’t this week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do take a great start? After all, it carries the brand of two well-known and popular films viz. Pati Patni Aur Woh (old and new).

– The brand value in this case is not twofold because the first PATI PATNI AUR WOH was released in 1978. That’s 48 years ago! It is too far back in time to really help today, more so because it was not a landmark blockbuster in 1978. The second (2019) PATI PATNI AUR WOH was a successful film alright but that has somehow not aided the third film in the PATI PATNI AUR WOH series.   

Will producers ever return to the old style of having music by just one music director in a film or will we continue to have music by multiple music directors in a film?

– Both the styles will continue to co-exist. Although many producers today sign different music directors for a film, there are filmmakers who, even today, prefer working with just one music composer for a film.  

Will films made with AI-generated characters instead of real actors run successfully in cinemas?

– It is to be seen whether such films will strike a chord with the public. Given the way things are evolving, such AI films might work at the box-office though they cannot displace films starring real actors. 

Why do producers announce the release of their films without a CBFC certificate in their hands? I am asking this question with reference to not just this week’s scheduled release, Aakhri Sawal, which had to ultimately be postponed, but other films also.

– Producers are an adventurous lot. They announce the release of their films if they feel that the CBFC will grant the film certification without hassles. But if there is a problem at the eleventh hour, they are forced to postpone their film’s release. Frankly, true producers are adventurous by nature. If they weren’t so, they would never have the guts to make films.  

Saleable stars are in short supply. Films with other actors don’t open well. It is also a fact that today, the game is of initial. In such a scenario, what should film producers and directors do? How do they make films?

– The only option for them is to work hard, very hard on their scripts. Films with well-written scripts but starring actors who may not be saleable, tend to pick up after a slow start. So although we say that the game today is of initial, it is also a fact that good content works even if the start is slow.  

What are microdramas? One has been hearing about them here, there and everywhere. Can you please explain?

– Microdramas are serialised, vertical short-form video series made for viewing on your cell phone. An episode could last for one, two, three or more minutes. Microdramas originated in China where they are known as duanju. They are addictive, fast-paced dramas and are supposed to have high-stakes storylines — often romance, revenge, or fantasy — with frequent cliffhangers designed to maximise engagement and monetisation through apps. It is viewed as a growing business with huge potential. Yash Raj Films is entering the microdrama space with a budget outlay of Rs. 150 crore. 

Why has the release of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai been postponed to 5th June?

– It was clashing with CHAND MERA DIL, another romantic film, on the earlier scheduled date of release, 22nd May. So, the producers thought it better to go back to the original date — 5th June. You may recall that Tips had first planned to release HJTIHH on 5th June. They’ve now rescheduled the release to their original date. The release of TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS has been shifted from 5th June. That’s another reason why Tips announced their film on that date.

Why has the release of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups been postponed again?

– It has been postponed because the producers, KVN Productions, want to dub it in English and simultaneously release it Overseas like a proper English film. The dubbing can be done in a month but the film’s marketing abroad will take several months and hence the release had to be postponed. 

Why is there so much despair in the exhibition sector these days?

– When films don’t work at the ticket windows, there is bound to be despair — not just in the exhibition trade but in all the other sectors too.

Why hasn’t Lionsgate dubbed this week’s Michael in Hindi?

– Since it’s a biopic of King of Pop Michael Jackson, the makers did not want to dub it in Hindi as that would’ve necessitated dubbing of Jackson’s songs. Dubbing of the iconic songs in Hindi or, for that matter, in any other language, would’ve been weird. Anyway, Warner Bros. has given the English film a very wide release in India in spite of it not being dubbed in Hindi or any South Indian languages. Incidentally, the film is carrying extraordinary reports.

Now that corporates back most of the big-budget and star cast films, has it become more difficult for independent producers to make films?

– You bet, it has! They have now to compete with corporate-backed films for which budgets are never a problem. 

Is Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) releasing on 4th June?

– Yes, it is. There has been no further change in its release date after the shift from 19th March.

How long will it take for the box-office record businesses of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge to be broken?

– The record business of DHURANDHAR was broken by its sequel, DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE. It is almost impossible to predict how long it will now take for a new film to surpass the total business of DHURANDHAR: THE REVENGE and thereby break its record. Nobody can predict that because one has to watch the film which may seem to be the new record-breaker, before deciding whether it will do so.   

What are the ingredients of a blockbuster film?

– A solid story line, a phenomenal screenplay, and topnotch acting talent. Super-hit music can add greatly to the business. Not to forget: tons of good luck! 

Which film is slated to hit the screens in the Republic Day week next year?

– Sanjay Leela Bhansali has just announced the release of his LOVE & WAR on 21st January, 2027. 

Why did Dacoit Ek Prem Katha this week not take even an average opening? I ask this question because there was a famine of new releases after Dhurandhar: The Revenge, and hence it was expected that any star cast film would open to decent houses, such must be the hunger for a new film.

– In that sense, DACOIT EK PREM KATHA cannot be counted as a star cast film for the Hindi film-going audience because its hero, Adivi Sesh, does not have a loyal fan base among the Hindi film-going public so far.  

Which will be the next big thing on screen, after Dhurandhar: The Revenge?

– It just might be TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS (dubbed). People may be shocked by its teaser, but let me tell you, that titillating teaser has done the trick and it will draw the public into the cinemas.

Does online trolling affect a star’s saleability?

– Not really, unless the trolling is for a long period of time. It also depends on the reason/s for which the star is being trolled online.